During
his time at Utah State University, Len Rohde was a three
year starter and captain for the Aggie football team. For
his outstanding play, he earned team MVP and All-Conference
honors. In addition to excelling on the football field,
Rohde also received his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education
in 1960.

After
graduation, Rohde was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers,
where he played for the next 15 years. He holds the 49er
record for consecutive games played (208) and won the Len
Eschmont Award in 1974 for being team’s player that best
exemplifies “inspirational and courageous play”. He was
also selected to the 1971 Pro Bowl game and was named to
the 49ers All-Time Golden Era team in 1996.

But
football was not the only thing he was interested in. During
his professional football days, Rohde owned a sports/entertainment
bar and restaurant with fellow teammates and friends. After
his retirement from football, he began operating his own
Burger King and Applebees franchises. Today, Rohde is in
charge of eight Burger King restaurants and six Applebees
located in the San Francisco area.

Despite
his success, Rohde has not forgotten USU. He continues to
support the university and is a member of the Old Main Society.
For his service, Utah State selected Len Rohde to be Grand
Marshall for the 1988 Homecoming parade.

USU
Announces New Football CoachBrent
Guy has been named as the 25th head football coach at
Utah State University it was announced by Aggie athletics
director Randy Spetman on Friday.

Guy,
a former Utah State assistant coach from 1992-94, has
spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator
and linebackers coach at Arizona State. For
the complete story . . .

112th
Commencement CeremoniesThe 112th
Commencement of Utah State University marks the first
time in the school’s history that a graduation ceremony
has been held at the conclusion of the Fall semester.
The Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, December
18 at 10:30 a.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. All the
candidates for graduation will hear their names formally
announced and their degrees will be conferred.

USU
Advancement Hub Opening in Salt Lake CityTo assist
in Utah State University’s continuing efforts to better
connect with alumni, a new university hub has been established
at the Wells Fargo Center in Salt Lake City. To celebrate
the opening of this new office, a ribbon cutting ceremony
will take place on Wednesday, December 15 on the second
floor lobby. Aggie ice cream will be served to the public
from noon until 2 p.m., with the ribbon cutting taking
place at 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.

As
reported in September, this new hub will house Vice President
for Advancement M. Scott Mietchen,
a small staff, and even a shop selling Aggie merchandise.
This office was designed to enhance the relationships
with the fifty thousand USU alums living in and around
the Salt Lake area.

Snowmen
at NightSome
may call it destiny when you look at the lives and careers
of Mark and Caralyn Buehner. Mark is a renowned illustrator
of children’s books, while Caralyn is an equally accomplished
author. Both attended Utah State University. Mark graduated
in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in art.

Growing
up in Salt Lake City, each of the Buehners discovered
their respective talents early in life. By the time she
was teenager, Caralyn had won state and national awards
for her writing. Mark started drawing as soon as he was
big enough to hold a pencil.

"I’ve
been told that I learned to walk by holding a pencil;
maybe that’s where this illustrating thing got started!”
explains Mark. “One of my earliest memories is my father
drawing pictures for me in church.”

Together,
they have collaborated on seven published books for children.
In 2002, the Buehner’s published their hugely popular
collaboration, Snowmen at Night. This story follows
a young boy’s imagination as he wonders what really
happens to snowmen when night falls. Mark’s rich
illustrations and Caralyn’s simple and beautiful language
bring the town’s snowmen to life for adults and children
alike.

Utah's
Carnegie Professor of the Year NamedOver the last
10 years Utah State University has won the Carnegie Foundation
Utah Professor of the Year award seven times. This year
Utah State has the honor of continuing that pattern of
excellence through the bestowment of the Carnegie Foundation
Utah Professor of the Year award to Dr. Bonnie Glass-Coffin.

New
Program for Alumni AnnouncedPart of the USU Alumni Association's
mission is to bring the best programs and services to
all Aggies world-wide. As part of this mission, the Alumni
Association is proud to announce the recent partnership
with Washington Mutual. This new program is available
for all alumni.

Washington Mutual offers
USU alumni $350 off closing costs, no origination fees,
1/8th point off consumer loans and Home Equity lines or
loans, and fast loan decisions. In addition to discounts
on home loans, you can also take advantage of other great
Washington Mutual benefits such as discounts on checking
accounts, savings accounts and more. Call them toll free
at
(888) 708-2825, visit them online
or stop by a local Financial Center today to learn more!

Back
to the Buzzer

The
USU Army ROTC out on a field exercise in 1953

EVENT LISTINGS

Utah
State University Alumni Relations sponsors many exciting
events throughout the year. To keep informed about the
most current ones, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/events.html
often.

CONNECTIONS

Classnotes
We invite you to check out the new Classnotes section
of the alumni website. Included are some recent
postings. Please feel free to add some of your
own. Click here to view
the Classnotes web page.

LaVell EdwardsLaVell Edwards
may be best known for turning the Brigham Young University
football team into a national powerhouse. Perhaps not
as well known is the fact that Edwards was an Aggie long
before he was a Cougar.

Coach LaVell Edwards was
recently inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame
for his stellar career at BYU. After taking over Cougar
football in 1972, Edwards led the team to a 257-101-3
record, which included 20
conference titles, 13 bowl games, and a national title.
He also mentored a number of prominent football players,
such as Steve Young and Jim McMahon.

Before
heading to Provo, however, Edwards’ blood was a darker
shade of blue. He graduated from Utah State University
in 1952 with a degree in Physical Education. Edwards also
lettered three times while playing on the USU football
team (1949, 1950, and 1951). In 1984, the same year he
guided BYU to a national title, Edwards was honored as
the USU Alumnus of the Year. He is also a member of the
HPER Hall of Fame.

Panama
Canal CruiseFebruary 6-15, 2005Sail
aboard the Coral Princess to visit
the ports of Limon, Grand Cayman, Belize and
Cozumel and marvel at the wondrous Panama
Canal on the 10-day adventure.

Branson,
MissouriMay
10-15, 2005Enjoy the
excitement of Branson, Missouri while seeing
shows by Andy Williams, the Sons of the Pioneers,
the Osmonds and more. An optional extension
is also offered, visiting the historical sites
of Nauvoo (extension dates: May 15-18, 2005).